Inquiring minds may have wondered at some point, who invented dentures? However, the question may be harder to answer than you might realize. While the modern design for dentures may be a few hundred years old, evidence shows that the idea of replacing lost teeth may date back thousands of years. With impressive experience restoring patients’ smiles after tooth loss, Dr. Leibowitz is familiar with the advantages of today’s dentures. To learn about the milestones that have led to the modern marvels, read on as your Astoria dentist briefly revisits the history of dentures and other tooth replacements.
The Human Quest to Replace Dentition
- The earliest known example of tooth replacement is from around 700 BC, when the Etruscans who populated the hills of northern Italy crafted crude dentures out of human and/or animal teeth. As you might imagine, these replacements deteriorated quickly, but given the high renewability of the source, their popularity lasted well into the 19th century.
- The first useful complete dentures appeared in Japan during the mid-16th century. Crafted from the wood of Buxus microphylla, the dentures’ design closely resembled today’s suction-retained upper dentures.
- Around 1770, Alexis Duchâteau crafted the first porcelain dentures, though his former assistant, Nicholas Dubois de Chemant, received the first British patent for the design in 1791. De Chemant was selling the lifelike dentures by the following year.
- In 1820, a London goldsmith named John Lennon improved on the popular porcelain denture design by mounting them on 18-carat gold plates. A few decades later, a hardened form of rubber called Vulcanite became the go-to material to place porcelain dentures, followed by acrylic resins and various other plastics.
- Today, the dental porcelain used for your high-quality dentures is specially layered to mimic the light-reflecting properties of your natural tooth enamel, making them blend in almost seamlessly with your smile. The durable and comfortable plastic base is tinted to match the color of your gums, or you can opt to secure your porcelain prosthetics to a series of dental implants for greater stability.
Enjoy Modern Dentures and More with Your Astoria Dentist
To learn more about modern dentures, or to find out about securing your dentures to one or more dental implants, call our Astoria dentist’s office to schedule a dental consultation with Dr. Leibowitz. You can contact us by calling (718) 728-8320. Located in the 11106 area, we proudly serve patients from Astoria, Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the surrounding communities.
